Throughout history, modern trends and expectations have revolved around European and Western cultures, often inheriting their religious and political perspectives. However, along with perspectives, there has been a spread of the same fears and prejudices, including racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, and more recently, homophobia and transphobia. The result? A hostile environment for people to live in, with a toxicity that grows by the day.
As the LGBTQ+ community started expanding, reaching around seven percent of Americans, twice that of 2012, homophobia has followed, with, according to Gitnux, thirty-three percent of straight American adults finding the LGBT community ‘uncomfortable,’ a statistic that rose by three percent since 2018. These numbers solely apply to America, and while other countries may have similar or better poll results, America does remain one of the world’s most accepting countries. In fact, countries like Greece have only recently allowed same-sex marriage, while others like Lebanon, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka continue to criminalize the LGBTQ+ community.
Although religious beliefs do contribute to homophobia, there may be a percentage of people who simply find the LGBTQ+ community to be new and foreign. Therefore it is essential to fully understand the LGBTQ+ terms. Terms such as lesbian, gay, and bisexual refer to someone’s sexuality, or which gender they are attracted to, while transgender and non-binary gender refer to someone’s gender, or how they identify themselves. Both gender and sexuality can be fluid or placed on a scale, and it will often take time to figure out where one stands.
But as supporters, peers, colleagues, or just fellow humans, we must let them find themselves on their own, without imposing beliefs or oppressing feelings. The world is finally letting them thrive, and if all it takes for us to help them fly is just a little love, why not give it?